1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a container, particularly a tapered container, for dispensing food wherein a cover having variable surface area is forced toward a bottom of the container and results in a fluidized food being forced upward and through a through hole within the cover.
2. Description of Prior Art
Many food containers exist which hold fluidized food, such as various dips for chips, vegetables and the like. However, most conventional food containers require the user to scoop the food out with an utensil, such as a spoon, knife or the like. Other containers for food have various covers or lids for preserving the food during storage. Some conventional lids are for the purpose of retaining heat or preventing spillage of the fluidized food.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 287,919 discloses a drinking cup lid which has a relatively small through hole in the lid for allowing liquid within the drinking cup to flow from the cup, through the lid and into a special reservoir molded within the lid.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,812,121 teaches a dispensing container for liquids, powder, sugar and the like. The protective cover for the container has a flange with a cut away section. By squeezing or applying pressure about the periphery of the container, the container extends in a predetermined direction to form a spout through which liquid within the container can be poured. The spout extends through the cut away section of the lid when the container is compressed about its periphery.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,973,449 Des. 276,118 disclose different covers for dishes or the like. According to the teachings of the '449 patent, the cover has openings for the exhaust of steam or vapor.
Many conventional food containers, particularly those having generally circular cross sections, are tapered from the top to the bottom. Such overall tapered shape of the container enables convenient and efficient stacking of multiple containers.
It is thus apparent that there exists a need for a container which provides easy dispensing of a fluidized food, such as dips for vegetables, chips, crackers and the like, particularly without requiring additional utensils for dispensing the food. It is apparent that there also exists a need for a cover that can accommodate the overall tapered shape of many conventional containers, so that a seal is maintained between the container and the cover as the cover is moved downward into the tapered container for dispensing the fluidized food.